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How a love story launched the company behind Ozempic, Wegovy | 60 Minutes
Novo Nordisk, the company behind Ozempic and Wegovy, is now Europe’s largest company as global demand for its drugs have soared.
But the Danish pharmaceutical company’s origins were motivated by more personal reasons, not financial.
The company was launched in the early 1920s by Nobel laureate August Krogh and his wife Marie, a doctor living with diabetes. At the time, diabetes was a death sentence. The couple met at the Danish Medical School, where August was Marie’s professor.
“He fell in love with her right away,” said Hanne Sindbaek, a Danish journalist and author of two books about Novo Nordisk and the Kroghs.
While on a trip to North America they learned that Canadian scientists were working on a miracle cure for diabetes: insulin.They traveled to Toronto and came home to Denmark with the rights to manufacture the life-saving drug in Scandinavia.
Launching the world’s largest philanthropic organization
There was a catch when the Canadians shared the insulin formula with the Kroghs.
“They asked that nobody should profit from it,” Sindbaek said. “It should be to the benefit of humanity. It was a way to get this life-saving drug out in the world fast.”
60 Minutes
Back in Denmark, the Kroghs set up the Nordisk Insulin Company. To keep their agreement with the Canadian scientists, they established a nonprofit foundation, which today controls 77% of the voting shares. Today it is the largest philanthropic organization in the world, bigger than the Gates Foundation.
“The agreement was that if there were revenues and proceeds from the sales of insulin here in Scandinavia, it should be returned to society in the form of support for research into physiology and medicine,” said Mads Krogsgaard, the Novo Nordisk Foundation’s CEO.
In 2023, the foundation awarded more than $1 billion to projects in education, health and development projects around the world.
Novo Nordisk faces pricing complaints
In the years since its founding, Novo Nordisk has grown to be worth $600 billion, and yet current CEO Lars Fruergaard Jørgensen — only the fifth in the company’s history — has a compensation package of roughly $10 million, an amount dwarfed by his U.S. counterparts. When asked about the pressures of running the biggest company in Europe, he defers to the company mantra, the Novo Nordisk Way.
“So the Novo Nordisk way is the basic thinking of our founders. And key elements linked to how we treat each other, how we collaborate,” Jørgensen said. “And that’s about being open and honest. It’s all about being accountable.”
60 Minutes
In the U.S. however, there is a growing chorus of complaints over the costs of Ozempic and Wegovy led by Sen. Bernie Sanders. Novo Nordisk’s CEO appeared before Sanders and his Senate subcommittee on Sept. 24.
Sanders excoriated Jørgensen over allegations of price gouging, saying the company’s U.S. prices are unaffordable for those who need the drugs the most. Novo Nordisk’s response is that the drugs’ benefits to global health will, ultimately, save health care systems trillions of dollars. The company also blames America’s fractured health care system for the high prices.
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How to watch the Minnesota Vikings vs. Chicago Bears NFL game today: Livestream options, more
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The Minnesota Vikings will take on the Chicago Bears today. The Vikings are currently 8-2, an impressive run so far this season, and will be looking to add a fourth win to their current streak after last Sunday’s 23-13 win against the Tennessee Titans. The Bears, on the other hand, are entering this game on the heels of a four-game losing streak after a tough 20-19 loss against the Green Bay Packers last Sunday.
Here’s how and when you can watch the Vikings vs. Bears game today, whether or not you have cable.
How and when to watch the Minnesota Vikings vs. Chicago Bears
The Vikings vs. Bears game will be played on Sunday, November 24, 2024 at 1:00 p.m. ET (11:00 a.m. PT). The game will air on Fox and stream on Fubo and the platforms featured below.
How and when to watch the Minnesota Vikings vs. Chicago Bears game without cable
You can watch this week’s NFL game on Fox via several streaming services. All you need is an internet connection and one of the top options outlined below.
Fubo offers you an easy, user-friendly way to watch NFL games on CBS, Fox, NBC, ABC, ESPN, and NFL Network, plus NCAA football channels. The Pro tier includes 200+ channels and unlimited DVR, while the Elite with Sports Plus tier adds NFL RedZone and 4K resolution. New subscribers get a seven-day free trial and all plans allow streaming on up to 10 screens simultaneously.
You can watch today’s game with a subscription to Sling’s Orange + Blue tier, which includes ESPN, ABC, NBC, and Fox. The plan offers 46 channels with local NFL games, nationally broadcast games and 50 hours of DVR storage. For complete NFL coverage, add Paramount+ to get CBS games, or upgrade with the Sports Extra add-on for additional sports channels like Golf Channel, NBA TV and NFL RedZone.
Watching NFL games, including Fox broadcasts, is simple with Hulu + Live TV, which includes 90 channels, unlimited DVR storage, and access to NFL preseason games, live regular season games and studio shows. The service includes ESPN+ and Disney+ in the subscription.
Want to watch today’s game live on your smartphone? If so, NFL+ streaming service is the solution you’re looking for. It lets you watch NFL Network and out-of-market games on mobile devices, with an upgrade option to NFL+ Premium that includes NFL RedZone for watching up to eight games simultaneously. Note that NFL+ only works on phones and tablets, not TVs.
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How to watch the Detroit Lions vs. Indianapolis Colts NFL game today: Livestream options, more
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The Detroit Lions will face off against the Indianapolis Colts today. The Lions enter this game as top contenders with a near-perfect record of 9-1 so far this season. The Colts, who are 5-6 this season, could have a tough game on their hands against the Lions but will be looking to rack up another win after prevailing over the New York Jets in a tight game last Sunday.
Here’s how and when you can watch the Colts vs. Lions game today, whether or not you have cable.
Here’s how and when to watch the Detroit Lions vs. Indianapolis Colts
The Lions vs. Colts game will be played on Sunday, November 24, 2024 at 1:00 p.m. ET (11:00 a.m. PT). The game will air on Fox and stream on Fubo and the platforms featured below.
How and when to watch the Detroit Lions vs. Indianapolis Colts game without cable
You can watch this week’s NFL game on Fox via several streaming services. All you need is an internet connection and one of the top options outlined below.
Experience NFL action like never before with Fubo’s comprehensive sports streaming platform. From Sunday showdowns to primetime matchups, catch every NFL game across major networks including CBS, Fox, NBC, ABC, ESPN and NFL Network. Choose the Pro package to unlock 200+ channels and limitless DVR storage, or elevate your game-day experience with the Elite with Sports Plus package, featuring NFL RedZone’s commercial-free scoring highlights and stunning 4K quality.
Test drive the service with a no-commitment seven-day free trial, and share the excitement with family and friends — Fubo supports simultaneous streaming on up to 10 devices, so everyone can watch their favorite teams.
You can watch today’s game with a subscription to Sling’s Orange + Blue tier, which includes ESPN, ABC, NBC, and Fox. The plan offers 46 channels with local NFL games, nationally broadcast games, and 50 hours of DVR storage. For complete NFL coverage, add Paramount+ to get CBS games, or upgrade with the Sports Extra add-on for additional sports channels like Golf Channel, NBA TV and NFL RedZone.
Watching NFL games, including Fox broadcasts, is simple with Hulu + Live TV, which includes 90 channels, unlimited DVR storage, and access to NFL preseason games, live regular season games and studio shows. The service includes ESPN+ and Disney+ in the subscription.
Want to watch today’s game live on your smartphone? If so, NFL+ streaming service is the solution you’re looking for. It lets you watch NFL Network and out-of-market games on mobile devices, with an upgrade option to NFL+ Premium that includes NFL RedZone for watching up to eight games simultaneously. Note that NFL+ only works on phones and tablets, not TVs.